Archives for March 2019

The Union County Sheriff’s Office will be offering a Concealed Handgun Class on April 13th at 8am, at the Sheriff’s Office in La Grande. The cost is $50, and pre-registration is required. Contact the sheriff’s office at 541-963-1017.

Rep. Greg Walden will be in Wallowa and Union counties Friday. Following those appearances at the end of the month, Walden will have held town hall meetings in all 20 counties of the 2nd District in the first three months of 2019.

A man who the judge said showed a lack of remorse offered no apology, was sentenced to more than 41 years in prison when he appeared in Union County Circuit Court on multiple sex abuse charges. 21 year old Corey Collins was found guilty in February. Collins has already been behind bars in the Union County Jail since November 2017 when he was arrested. Five underage female victims all told similar stories of how he took advantage of their vulnerability and sexually assaulted them… leading to his conviction. District Attorney Kelsie McDaniel said Collins was the most dangerous sexual predator she has ever come in contact with in her career.

Another arrest in the Loretta Williams murder case… 65 year old Steve Hamilton has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder by the Union County Major Crimes Team. Williams’ ex-husband, Ronald Lee, was arrested in February on charges of murder in connection with the same case. Both arrests were made based on an indictment issued by a Union County Grand Jury.

Local educators say they support a bill that is aimed at mandating Holocaust education. The bill is now in the Legislature. If it passes, it would require Oregon school districts to teach students about the Holocaust and other acts of genocide. It is seen as important because it brings increased attention to the atrocities of World War II.

A bill that would give workers an easy way to save for retirement is quickly making its way through the Washington state Legislature….

Island City’s city council has elected a new president. Stan Terry is beginning his fifth year on the council. He was first elected to the council in 2014 and was re-elected to Position 1 in November 2018 after running unopposed. He was formerly a state trooper, and has resided in Island City since 1989. He is succeeding Robb Rea, who stepped down after being elected mayor in November.

Oregon lawmakers are considering a measure to combat age discrimination in the workplace and while older people are looking for jobs. State Representative Carla Piluso says age discrimination isn’t being taken seriously, but it’s a serious issue here in Oregon…

Tag: Piluso says she’s also concerned this issue disproportionately affects women. The bill currently is in the House Committee on Business and Labor.

Elgin has received nearly $500,000 in a Community Development Building Grant from Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, for revitalizing the city’s outdated wastewater system. Mayor Allan Duffy said while the grant of $476,400 is a huge step forward, he estimates the wastewater system project will take several years and nearly $6 million to complete.

An established hemp farm wants to process in Union County, with the aim of saving money by processing the crop here instead of sending it to the other side of the state.They say they recently applied for a conditional use permit to use a processing machine. Hemp produces CBD oil, among other products. For now, the hemp must be sent to Eugene for processing, and the processors there take 50 to 60 percent of the revenue right off the top.
The machinery will cost between $500,000 to $1 million.